Keith of Marmora
by Ruby Moon-Snape
Summary: After getting injured on a mission for the Blade, Keith is confined to the base with a broken arm. He goes exploring and discovers something surprising about the base and himself.


Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron: Legendary Defender.

Author Note: Keith might seem a little OOC, but we haven't seen him in a family setting before.

"Keith of Marmora"

Keith wandered around the Blade of Marmora's base. He had come back from a successful mission with a broken arm. Avoiding Kolivan's disappointed gaze, Keith set his arm and fashioned a sling. Getting drug back to the med bay by a passing Blade was embarrassing enough. Everyone knew who he was even though he had his mask in place; his height was a dead giveaway. The doctor looked over Keith's arm and deemed his care of it done well. He typed in something on his datapad and told Keith, "I have informed Kolivan you are not allowed to go on a mission for at least a month."

Keith scowled and stalked out of the med bay. He was so upset that he was being prevented from being useful to the Blade that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He ended up in a section of the base that he had never been too. It looked like it was a different place from the base he was used to. There was a softer feel to it and a noise that was unmistakable. Keith's eyes widened under his mask. There were children here! He carefully approached a nearby room, where he observed an older Galran woman with many Galran children; most of whom were sleeping and a small group of four were awake. The woman looked a little frazzled. Keith couldn't stop himself from approaching her and placing a hand on her shoulder, startling her slightly.

"I didn't mean to startle you, but it seemed like you could use some assistance," Keith said, voice distorted by his mask.

"Very observant, young Blade. If you are willing to assist me, you should remove your mask." Keith lowered his hood and allowed his mask to disappear, though reluctantly. The woman didn't seem surprised by his appearance. On the contrary, she smiled at him. "So, you are the Blade my brother told me about. He's very proud of you, even if you are a bit rebellious."

"Who's your brother?" Keith couldn't think of anyone in the Blade who was proud of him.

"Kolivan." Keith's mouth almost dropped open, but he prevented it. Kolivan was proud of him? That was news to him. Kolivan's sister led Keith over to the quartet who were awake and watching the exchange. She introduced him. "This is Keith, a new Blade who was injured recently on a mission. He has come to tell us a story."

Keith had to keep a straight face as he carefully sat down. He wasn't good at stories, but the looks on the faces of the children made him hold his tongue. They looked fascinated. "What kind of story do you want to hear?"

"Voltron!" the four children chorused.

Keith allowed a small smile. He could do that. "I have a lot of stories about Voltron. Anything specific?"

"Something about the Red Paladin!"

"Yeah! The way he flies the Red Lion is amazing."

"I heard he came to the base months ago!"

Keith was almost speechless. They were interested in him! Another small smile crossed his face. "Oh, you want to know about him? Well, I am very knowledgeable about the Red Paladin. He likes to train a lot, almost to the point of being obsessed about it. He is pretty good at sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat. He is also a very accomplished pilot. He had to bond with the Red Lion by protecting her with his life. He did come here a few months ago with the Black Paladin, whom he is very close to. He originally came here to form an alliance with the Blade but ended up taking the Trials of Marmora. He had one of the ceremonial blades, which he had inherited from his mother, whom he had never met. He actually passed the trials and became a member of the Blade."

"How do you know so much about the Red Paladin?" one kit asked in awe.

Keith smirked. "Because I am the Red Paladin."

The four kits gasped in surprise. They actually met their favorite Paladin! Keith looked at the kits and was surprised to see the entire class crowded around him, listening. "Please tell us more!"

Keith smiled and obliged. Unbeknownest to Keith, Kolivan had gone looking for his errant Blade. He had gotten a message from his sister that Keith was with her and her class. He had been standing there for several minutes listening to Keith talking to the Galran kits. He seemed almost at ease with the kits, which wasn't something he would have thought Keith would be. Maybe it was instinct? Kolivan watched his youngest Blade, when his sister approached him. "He's amazing, isn't he? He came here on his own accord, offering his aid without my asking him."

"He is exceptional. I didn't think he would interact with the children as well as he has."

"Keith was an orphan, correct? Well, maybe he wanted to make sure these children got all the attention he never got?"

Kolivan stayed quiet as he considered his sister's words. His eyes strayed to Keith and the children. Keith was regaling them with his exploits as the Red Paladin. Maybe he should've spent more time with Keith before throwing him into missions. He couldn't change the fact that he wasn't close with the newest Blade, and he couldn't get to know him now. Keith didn't want to interact with him outside of missions. It disturbed him more than he let on.

Kolivan's sister looked at her brother. She could tell he was thinking about Keith. She didn't know a lot about him, and apparently neither did Kolivan. She noticed his ears drooped as his thoughts turned depressing. She grabbed his arm and softly purred. His ears perked up, and he looked at his sister. "It's been awhile since you purred."

"It's been awhile since you've come to see me. Keith being a Blade is a good thing. You may get to know him yet."

Kolivan looked at Keith again. Maybe it wasn't too late to get to know his newest Blade after all.

Fin


End file.
